Our black car is only about a month old and despite my best efforts at proper washing, it is collecting some very fine scratches. The kind that are only visible from a couple inches away from the car, and probably would be nearly invisible on a lighter colored car.

Should I try just a good wax, or do you guys recommend polishing and then waxing?

What's the best wax applicator? Microfiber? 100% cotton?

I have Meguiar's #26 wax and #9 polish, but would be willing to try something else. Suggestions?

 

I found out about Meguiar's ScratchX here on NAM and have been trying it on my IB with very good results. I use a cotton applicator with the ScratchX but a microfiber applicator the Klasse products I use and that works super.

I do use a lot of microfiber products for general drying and detailing and, while I am no expert, I learned the hard way to not trust all microfiber. I now get all mine from North American Car Care, but other good vendors are out there, too. IMHO, be wary of bargains and get the best, especially on your JB.

 

I noticed the same problem on my IB/W paint. After applying Z5 from Zaino, it did remove most of the fine scratches. As for the scratches that are not as "fine," ScratchX does work well. I am, however, reluctant to use ScratchX too often because I'm not sure if it has any ill effect on the longevity of the paint. :smile:

 

You can use any of the popular polymer products provided you carefully do the prep step first.

The favorite brand on this board seems to be Zaino. I happen to prefer Liquitech products. They're probably very similar.

Step 1 of the process (ie, the prep) will get rid of most of the micro scratches. Step 2 (the polymer finish) will fill in any remaining micro scratches and form a hard, protective surface when it polymerizes. Additional coats of the polymer will continue filling in scratches and enhancing reflectivity.

I've convinced myself that the microfiber cloths which I had been using for drying were the main culprit in creating micro scratches on my black MCS. So I have gone back to using flannel polishing cloths (ie, 100% cotton) for drying.

However, I recently learned about the Mr. Clean stuff so I might give it a try -- if it works, I can dispense with using drying cloths altogether...

 

thanks for the tips. i'm going to go for a professional polish, and try to start over from there. i think most of my problems came from the first wash when i used a chenille mit that wasn't 100% cotton :???: